Patent GB-1061179-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to an electrically operated selective printer
IPC: H04L17/26
Filed: 1964-10-05
Abstract: 1,061,179. Selective printing. MITE CORPORATION. Oct. 5, 1964 [Jan. 28, 1964], No. 40585/64. Headng B6F. A selective printer comprising a cylindrical type carrier 44, Fig. 5, slidable on a splined shaft 102, for rotary and axial character selection is provided with two sets of three solenoids 60, 62, 64, Fig. 4, and 120, 122, 124, respectively, wherein the first and second solenoid cores 66, 68 and 126, 128 of each set carry a respective pulley 72, 78 and 132, 134, a third pulley 76, 136 being disposed for movement in a path between the paths of the first and second pulleys. Cables 78, 138 fixed at one end 80, 140 pass back and forth around the respective three movable pulleys the other end of the cables being connected to the cores 70, 130 of respective third solenoids and said third movable pulleys 76, 136 are operatively connected by further cables 90, 152 to move the type carrier for said rotary and axial character selection, respectively. Type selection mechanisms; electrical input arrangements.-The printer is operated by signals made up of sequential pulses in accordance with a six-level Baudot code and these are converted in a converter to provide simultaneous outputs for selected ones of the six solenoids 60, 62, 64 and 120, 122, 124. Rotary selection is effected by selective displacement of the cores 66, 68, 70, Fig. 4, which results in an angular displacement of the pulley 76 mounted pivotally on an arm 118 and driving a further pulley 94 coaxial therewith. The pulley 94 is interconnected by a cable 90, fixed at one end at 92, to a drum 96 to which the other end of the cable is secured. Fast with the drum 96 is a gear 98 meshing with a gear 100 on the splined shaft 102 carrying the said type carrier 44, so that rotation of the pulley 76 positions a selected type character opposite a hammer 46. Axial character selection is effected by selective displacement of the cores 126, 128 and 130, Fig. 6, whereby the selector pulley 136 pivotally mounted on an arm 164, rotates a further pulley 156 coaxial therewith and a cable 152 associated with the pulley displaces the type carrier 44 axially through the intermediary of guide pulleys 158, 166, Fig. 7, and a slide 170 carrying a yoke 174 received in a groove of the type carrier 44. One end of the cable 152 is connected to a letter spacing drum 154 and the other end to a post 188 the cable being tensioned by a pivotal arm 182 urged in an anti-clockwise direction by a bent helical spring 176. Type carrier resetting arrangements.-The type carrier is reset by a return spring 104, Fig. 4, anchored at one end to a post 106 and at the other end to a drum 110 and by the arm 182 pulling on cable 152 to rotate and axially displace the type drum to an initial position. Hammer impression arrangements.-The hammer 46, Fig. 5, is carried on the upper end of a hammer arm 190, the lower end of which forms a slide 192, slidable on a hammer shaft 194, provided at one end with an upstanding arm 198, Fig. 4, to rock the same through a link 200 articulated to an arm 202 fast with a rock shaft 204. The hammer impression is activated by a solenoid 206 having a core 208 connected by a link 210 to a lever 212 fixedly mounted on the rock shaft 204. A lost motion connection 201 is provided in the link 200 so that the hammer impression may be completed by momentum. The hammer is returned by a spring 214. Letter-spacing mechanism.-On hammer return the lever 212, Fig. 6, carrying a letterspacing pawl 216 causes the pawl to engage a ratchet wheel 218 so as to rotate the drum 154 step-by-step in a counterclockwise direction the winding up of cable 152 advancing the type carrier 44. The hammer 46 is advanced with the same step-by-step movement by a cable 234 extending between guide pulleys 230, 232, Figs. 4 and 6, respectively, and having one end attached to the said drum 154 and the other to a return spring 236 anchored to a post 238. A check pawl 220 (Fig. 3, not shown) for the ratchet wheel 218 is also provided. Carriage return mechanism; line-spacing mechanism.-Energization of a solenoid 240, Fig. 5, causes its core 242 to displace an associated link 244 so that a pusher 278 moves a finger 276 which in turn disengages the letterspacing pawl 216 and the check pawl 220 (Fig. 3, not shown) whereby the type carrier 44 and hammer 46 return to their start positions. The ratchet wheel 218 carries a stud (Fig. 3, not shown) engageable by an adjustable set screw to limit the return movement of the type carrier during carriage return. Simultaneously with carriage return the link 244 pivots a lever 246 carrying a line feed pawl 250, Fig. 5, which cooperates with a ratchet wheel 252 mounted on a paper feed drive shaft 48. The line feed pawl is biased by a spring 266 into engagement with the ratchet wheel and the length of its stroke may be adjusted by an eccentrically mounted camming pin 268 supported on a rotatable member 270 and bearing against a camming surface 272. For automatic carriage return and linespacing switches S1 S11 and S10, Fig. 6, are provided for indication of the type carrier position viz. starting position, alert before end of line and end of line, respectively. The switches are operated by a cam 336 (Fig. 10, not shown) attached to the drum 154. Thus when the type carrier 44 approaches the end of the line the cam 336 closes the switch S10, Fig. 11, so that on receipt of a hammer pulse the hammer solenoid 206 closes switch S4 returning both hammer and type carrier to start position as well as advancing the paper. For incomplete lines carriage return and line feed are signalled, which signal energizes solenoid L2 if the type carrier is in the " letters " position so that the arm of switch S12 is positioned to number " 1 " and the solenoid 240 is energized when the switch S4 is closed by operation of the hammer. A self-holding switch S2 is closed when the solenoid 240 pulls in and the solenoid is de-energized when the type carrier returns to the starting position the cam 336 opening the switch S1. If the carriage return and line-spacing are signalled with the type carrier in the " figures " position solenoids L6 and L2 are energized and the arm of the switch S12 moves to the number " 5 " position. To minimize breaking up of words switch S11 alerts the carriage return mechanism at a predetermined number of letter spaces before the end of line and if a subsequent " space " signal is obtained it energizes solenoid L3, which moves the arm of switch S9 to position " 4." Carriage return and line-spacing occur when the hammer solenoid 206 pulls in closing switch S4. Paper, web and strip feeding, guiding, tensioning and cutting arrangements.-A web of paper is drawn from a paper roll 22, Fig. 6, supported on a shaft 32 held in slots by liftable arms 34 pivoted at 36 and urged downwardly by toggle springs 38. The upper ends of the arms have finger tabs 40 to facilitate turning the arms for renewal of paper rolls. The web drawn off the roll 22 passes around a roller 24, Fig. 5, carried on pivotally mounted arms 26 and urged downwardly by springs 30, runs beneath the printer and is then guided around a front plate 42. The web then passes to feeding pin wheels 50 mounted on a shaft 48 and is held against the wheels by bifurcated shoes 52, Fig. 7, which may be turned out of the way when threading a new roll. The shoes are carried on arms 54 pivoted on pivots 56 and provided with toggle springs 58, Fig. 6. The printed web passes out of the printer through a slit in the top edge (Fig. 1, not shown) which may act as a tear strip for tearing the web. Feed roller detents.-The line-spacing ratchet wheel 252 mounted on shaft 48, Fig. 7, is provided with a detent wheel 254 which is engaged by a detent roller (Fig. 3, not shown) on a spring- urged lever to fix the line-by-line position of the paper web feed.